CASE STUDIESPLATFORM CHANGE · CHAMBER OF COMMERCE2025

IHK Düsseldorf

Around 80 machines in a 24-hour window. On existing hardware.

PROJECT AT A GLANCE

IHK Düsseldorf

THE TASK: Renew the platform using existing hardware.
OUR CONTRIBUTION: Assess applications and hardware, prepare the transfer and perform the change over a weekend.
THE OUTCOME: The new environment was in production on Monday. The internal team continues to operate it.

THE PROJECT

Starting point
and requirements.

IHK Düsseldorf runs membership administration, examinations and digital services on a central platform.

The virtualisation platform was approaching end of life. Rather than building a second environment for weeks of parallel operation, the change was made on existing hardware within a defined weekend window.

NON-NEGOTIABLE REQUIREMENTS

Examination processes and membership administration had to be available on the new platform by Monday morning.

IMPLEMENTATION

What Sysfacts
took on.

Identified critical applications, their dependencies and reusable components
Selected Storage Spaces Direct based on the assessment: less operational complexity, clear licensing and integration with the existing environment
Prepared over four weeks. Transferred much of the estate in advance and kept it synchronised
Carried out the change over one weekend. Only the changes since the last synchronisation remained, with fallback points for each step

AFTER THE PROJECT

What changed for the client.

OUTCOME AND OPERATIONS

The new environment was in production on Monday. Building, running and removing a second environment was unnecessary, saving more than 20 person-days. The internal team runs operations.

PROJECT DATA

hours in one weekend window: 24
person-days avoided: 20

Technical context

Existing estate and constraints

Around 80 VMs ran on a platform nearing end of maintenance. Existing hardware was to be retained. A 24-hour weekend window was available for the change.

Target architecture

The new environment uses Windows Server, Hyper-V and Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct (S2D). Platform selection considered existing hardware, licensing and future operational effort.

Advance transfer

The change was prepared over four weeks. Much of the estate was transferred in advance and kept synchronised. Only changes since the last synchronisation remained for cutover.

Go-live

Implementation used existing hardware and planned fallback points. The new environment was in production on Monday. A complete second environment with weeks of parallel operation was not required.

“Sysfacts made the impossible possible. A complete change of our virtualisation platform in one weekend. Without downtime, data loss or compromises on security. It was not only technically impressive but also a major benefit for our business continuity and cost structure.”

Pascal Kasper Head of IT & Digitalisation · IHK DÜSSELDORF Translated from German